Repeal SB 1070, put focus on real solutions

by Steve Gallardo - Jan. 28, 2012 12:00 AMMy Turn

Everyone can agree that illegal immigration is a serious problem in this country and it's a problem that is felt more acutely in Arizona than any other state in the nation. For too long the federal government has failed to adequately address this problem.

Every year hundreds of people die crossing Arizona's parched deserts. For what? They are seeking better opportunities for themselves and their families, and they are filling a crucial role in American society -- one that nobody wants to admit.

The truth is, without our immigrant labor force we would be paying much more for everyday items we take for granted. They bus our tables, they pick our produce, and they cut the grass of those more fortunate in our communities.

But along with these hard-working folks come criminals who take advantage of them and bring violence to our state. It is the job of law enforcement to investigate and prosecute these criminals. But it is not the job of law enforcement to act as federal immigration agents. Unfortunately, we have seen in disturbing clarity what happens when they do.

In his zeal to gain media attention and pander to "tea party" extremists, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has ordered his deputies to practice what SB 1070 would require of all Arizona law-enforcement officers.

What do we have to show for his immigration enforcement? We have Department of Justice charges of racial profiling. We have tens of thousands of criminals on our streets because warrants have not been served. Tragically, we also have hundreds of sexual predators, including child molesters, roaming free because Sheriff Joe was too busy asking innocent people to prove their citizenship.

This week, I submitted Senate Bill 1218 which would repeal SB 1070 because we cannot ask our hard-working, loyal and dedicated law-enforcement professionals across the state to play this tea-party game. We cannot ask them to terrorize our ethnic minorities with random questioning because of their skin color. They must remain focused on preventing crime in our communities, keeping our streets and our families safe.

I harbor no illusions that the same extremist Republicans who control the state Legislature, and who forced SB 1070 upon Arizona, will keep my bill from being heard -- as they do with most Democrat-sponsored bills. It is their partisan bickering that keeps us from working together to find common-sense solutions to our state's problems.

This bill has left a black mark on Arizona, harming tourism and our image to the nation and the world.

We must demand that Washington come up with a real solution to the problem of illegal immigration. We must support efforts to require undocumented immigrants to pay a fine and pass a criminal background check to earn a path to legalization.

We must do this to not only protect our communities, but to protect our law-enforcement officers, to protect those who come across the border in search of opportunity, and to protect our way of life.

Steve Gallardo, a Democrat, is a state senator representing District 13 in Phoenix.